Irish Premiership: Coleraine 2-3 Linfield

Linfield stayed level on points with Premiership leaders Crusaders as Philip Lowry's late goal earned a dramatic win over Coleraine in an exciting contest.

GAA star Eoin Bradley twice brought Coleraine on terms with superb goals including a spectacular over-head kick.

However, Lowry stabbed in Linfield's winner two minutes from time.

Ruairi Harkin missed a Coleraine penalty on 39 with Aaron Burns slotting a Blues spot-kick on 42 and Mark McAllister also on target for Linfield.

Lowry's late goal meant a fifth successive defeat for the Bannsiders but Oran Kearney's side will surely move up the table if can replicate this kind of form over the coming weeks.

Kearney had demanded an improved display after last weekend's defeat by Warrenpoint Town and his players responded by producing an enterprising start.

Derry GAA man Bradley showed his pace right from the off as he ran on to a long ball but was unable to divert in from a tight angle after he had pushed the ball past Jonathan Tuffey.

With the action end-to-end, Paul Owens and Michael Carvill hit the woodwork at either end with Aaron Burns also testing Coleraine keeper Wayne Drummond with a long-range effort.

Harkin squandered Coleraine's penalty as he hit the butt of an upright on 39 minutes after Billy Joe Burns had been adjudged to have upended Bradley.

Three minutes later, referee Tim Marshall awarded a spot-kick at the other end after David Ogilby's clumsy challenge on McAllister and Burns held his nerve to net the penalty.

Coleraine got on terms for the first time on 54 minutes as Bradley hooked an Owens free-kick past Tuffey from close range.

Linfield went ahead again on 67 as McAllister cleverly sidestepped Ogilby before unleashing a superb shot past Drummond.

The Bannsiders looked to have earned a battling point as Bradley fired in a sensational over-head kick on 84 after Ogilby had nodded on a free-kick from substitute Stephen Carson.

But Linfield had other ideas as Lowry stabbed in his 88th-minute winner from close range after Andrew Waterworth had knocked on a cross from substitute Matthew Tipton.

With Crusaders also winning, Linfield remain in second place in the table while Coleraine stay 10th after the weekend action.